Scotland

Scotland
The saltire (St Andrew's cross flag), unicorn and the shield with the lion rampant - symbols of Scotland

July 2017 - Orkneys and Shetlands
July 2012 - Edinburgh and East Coast

 

 

 

 

 

July 2017

A quick visit to the Shetlands and Orkney as part of a "working" cruise of the Norwegian fjords.

Kirkwall, Orkney Islands



City Hall


Kirkwall Hotel


Masonic building


Ruins of Bishop's Palace


Ruins of Bishop's Palace

P
Post Office

Saint Magnus Catherdral - Kirkwall

St Magnus Cathedral - Britain’s most northerly Cathedral. St Magnus Cathedral known as the 'Light in the North' was founded in 1137 by the Viking, Earl Rognvald, in honour of his uncle St Magnus. 

 

 

Lerwock, Shetland Islands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 2012

We were in Scotland as part of a Rotary exchange - living with local families - a great experience!

 

Edinburgh

 


Edinburgh Castle


Edinburgh Castle


Edinburgh Castle


Edinburgh Castle


Edinburgh Castle


Sir Walter Scott monument


Sir Walter Scott monument


Carved doors


Supreme Court


The Royal Mile


Really?


This is a bar (see below)


Named for the coal miners


Converted police box


Not sure what eyebrow threading is....


I put this in to demonstrate the "skew" feature in Photoshop - this is taken from the above photograph and skewed to make is head on


The Arabic writing says ruman, meaning Pomegranate

St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh


St Giles' Cathedral is on the Royal Mile. It is the mother Church of Presbyterianism and contains the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle (Scotland's chivalric company of knights headed by the Queen).

Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland. It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Its strategic location, guarding what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream crossing of the River Forth, has made it an important fortification from the earliest times. Most of the principal buildings of the castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Several Scottish kings and queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1543. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with the last being in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle. 


The William Wallace memorial as seen from Stirling Castle - the famous battle of Stirling Bridge took place between the two locations in 1297


Castle church


Great hall


English lion


Scottish unicorn


Castle palace


Palace ceiling

RRS Discovery - Dundee


The RRS Discovery was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in Britain. Designed for Antarctic research, she was launched in 1901. Her first mission was the British National Antarctic Expedition, carrying Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first, successful journey to the Antarctic, known as the Discovery Expedition. Five months after setting sail on 6 August 1901 from the Isle of Wight, she sighted the Antarctic coastline on 8 January 1902. During the first month Scott began charting the coastline. Then, in preparation for the winter, he weighed anchor in McMurdo Sound. The ship would remain there, locked in ice, for the next two years; the expedition had expected to spend the winter there and to move on in the spring. Despite this, the Expedition was able to determine that Antarctica was indeed a continent, and they were able to relocate the Southern Magnetic Pole.


Balmoral Castle


Coats of arms at Balmoral Castle - the summer residence of the Queen
The V and A are for the original owners - Queen Victoria and Prince Albert


 




Portraits of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort Albert in the Aberdeen City Hall (copies of orginals at Balmoral)

HM Yacht Britannia


Queen's bedroom


Complete with its own Rolls Royce


Officers mess


Family dining room


Drawing room


NCO mess


Crew quarters


Sick bay


Launch (I think they call it a barge)


Sailboat Bloodhound


Glamis Castle

Glamis Castle is located near Glamis, Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, but best known for being the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Elizabeth married Prince Albert, who later became King George VI. She was later known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, mother of the current queen. Her second daughter, Princess Margaret, was born at Glamis.


Rick in a kilt - the tartan is the Ancient Urquhart


Piper and highland dancer


St Andrews


The 18th hole at the Royal and Ancient course at St Andrews, the birthplace of golf


Royal and Ancient course at St Andrews


18th green


The beach was the location for filming the movie Chariots of Fire


Ruins of St Andews castle


Ruins of St Andews castle


Ruins of St Andews castle


Ruins of St Andews castle


Chapel of St Salvator, University of St Andrews


University of St Andrews


St Andrews


For you royal watchers...


St Andrews

Firth of Forth Bridges


Highway bridge to the left and rail bridge on the right


Firth of Forth rail bridge


Train on the Firth of Forth rail bridge - it is a huge bridge

Linlithgow Palace


Linlithgow is the birthplace and early home of Mary Stuart, also known as Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587). 


Falkirk Wheel


The Falkirk Wheel - replaces a series of locks


Locks on canal above the wheel


On top of the wheel


Falkirk boat basin


Anstruther


Prawn traps at Anstruther


Prawn traps at Anstruther


Prawn traps at Anstruther


Loch Katrine



Aberdeen


Scottish cross in cemetery on the campus of the University of Aberdeen


University of Aberdeen


King's College Chapel at the the University of Aberdeen


King's College Chapel at the the University of Aberdeen

 


King's College Chapel at the the University of Aberdeen


King's College Chapel at the the University of Aberdeen


King's College Chapel at the the University of Aberdeen


King's College Chapel at the the University of Aberdeen


King's College Chapel at the the University of Aberdeen


War memorial in King's College Chapel


War memorial in King's College Chapel - St Andrew (Scotland) and St George (England)


War memorial in King's College Chapel (note military theme)


War memorial in King's College Chapel (note military theme)


Aberdeen harbor entrance


Aberdeen harbor - major support center for North Sea oil


The Havila Fortune oil rig resupply vessel - registered in Nassau


Highlands west of Aberdeen


Highlands west of Aberdeen


Highlands west of Aberdeen


New Haven Harbour

Tullibardine Distillery


Tullibardine Distillery - since 1488


Barley is sifted here


Washed


Cooked


Fermented


Distilled


Stored in bonded warehouse - note years


A barrel with Scoth from 1952


Sampling the various finishes


Cooperage in Stirling - French wine and American whisky barrels are reused to age Scotch


Cooperage in Stirling


For some reason unknown to me, American distillers can only use a barrel one time - the Scots can use them numerous times


Rehabilitating barrels


Rehabilitating barrels


After a barrel is no longer usable, it is shaved out and refired - basically a new barrel


After a barrel is no longer usable, it is shaved out and refired - basically a new barrel


Tanker trucks bring Scotch to a bonded warehouse where it is stored for a minimum of three years


The Highland Games at Cupar


Highland dance contestant


Shot putting with advertising on his kilt


The caber - 17.5 feet long, 175 pounds


William Wallace monument


Inn at Sheriffmuir - site of a battle in 1715 between, who else, British troops and Scottish (Jacobite) rebels


Gravesite of Rob Roy McGregor


Gravesite of Rob Roy McGregor


Stained glass from museum of the Black Watch regiment


Highlands


Highlands


Highlands


Highlands


Highlands hotel


Green Machines - Emily and one of our hosts in Scotland (she works there)


Private driveway


Typical scenery


Highland cattle


The Royal Mail - the mailbox was installed during the reign of one of the King Georges (GR)


Does it get more British than this?


Folk singers impromptu concert - the instument on the left is a bouzouki


Local pub


Great shot by Emily from a moving train - this is the Barns Ness Light, East Lothian


East Lothian


East Lothian